UH Student Media

The Lemon Twigs: Double the Trouble and Made For Lovin’

If you haven’t heard, Brian and Michael D’Addario, also known as The Lemon Twigs, recently announced an international tour with several dates in the United States. Among the many list of cities such as LA, NYC, Tokyo, London, Paris, & Berlin, The Lemon Twigs made a stop in Houston where they performed at White Oak Music Hall in the Heights on Wednesday night. Being the day after Valentine’s Day, the contagious aura of love still lingered as concert-goers assembled at WOMH to catch a glimpse of the ‘iconic pop-duo from Long Island’ in action.

As a live act, the group consists of the D’Addario brothers, Brian and Michael, who both switch off between percussion and electric guitar, and are accompanied by Megan Zeankowski on bass guitar and Danny Ayala on keys and backing vocals. The performance given was a solid one, although the nervous looks toward the soundboard guy might’ve dampened their mojo at the beginning. The group was quickly able to shake it off and produce a pleasant accompaniment of Beatles-esque sounds. “How’s everyone feeling?” said Brian (shown right) after the second song of their performance. “I hope the mix sounds good to you guys, I can barely hear it up here.”, said Brian.

The Lemon Twigs went on to perform several tracks from their debut album, Do Hollywood, released last year and received tremendously well by critics. ‘The Lemon Twig sound’ is something straight out of the sixties, being influenced by groups like the Beach Boys and Beatles. It is a nostalgic element that they induce into their persona. They have this ‘Bowie meets the Ramones’ image that contrasts with the sweet and harmonious melodies that their music produces. Several songs such as “These Words”, “As Long As We’re Together”, “Baby, Baby” and “I Wanna Prove to You” were included in the set list.

I witnessed crowd members singing along with the group song after song, while swinging and swaying to the upbeat nature of the music. One thing that really stood out to me was when the brothers would switch positions. Both equally talented at what they do, each carried a unique style to their performance. Brian D’Addario, who plays guitar & sings on “These Words”, had a more gentle, grounded and reserved stage presence, but once his brother, Michael, took helm at front a whole new energy seemed to form. The audacious Michael, who sings on “As Long As We’re Together”, kicks and flips through the air like a Brazilian jumping bean. He carried a whole new definition to the term ‘rock star’.

In summary, I was hugely impressed and humbled to have witnessed this performance. After the show, I had a chance to meet with The Lemon Twigs for a brief moment as they greeted fans, took pictures, and autographed LP’s. They say that getting to know the artist behind the music gives you a whole new perspective on their work afterward. I am glad to say that my initial impression of them remains intact, as they were one of the most honest and down-to-earth people. I wish them well, and that they continue to spread their message of love and unity through the airwaves to come. You can follow The Lemon Twigs on Social Media or buy/stream their debut album, Do Hollywood, through their website HERE.